How to Do Good & Avoid Evil: A Global Ethic from the Sources of Judaism - Hardcover

Homolka, Rabbi Walter; Küng, Hans

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1594732558 ISBN 13: 9781594732553

Publisher: SkyLight Paths, 2009

Synopsis

Explore how the principles of a global ethic can be found in Judaism and how they can provide the ethical norms for all religions to work together toward a more peaceful humankind.

In 1993, the Parliament of the World's Religions endorsed the "Declaration toward a Global Ethic" composed by Hans Küng. In it, representatives from all the world's religions agreed on principles for a global ethic and committed themselves to directives of nonviolence, respect for life, solidarity, a just economic order, tolerance, and equal rights and partnership between men and women. But the declaration was just the first step.

In this impressive volume, Hans Küng, probably the most famous living Roman Catholic theologian, and Rabbi Walter Homolka, head of Germany’s Abraham Geiger rabbinical seminary and distinguished professor, draw on the Jewish tradition to show the riches that Judaism can offer people of all faiths and nonbelievers in achieving these directives.

Presenting key sacred texts and theological writings, the authors make the case for binding values and basic moral attitudes that can be found in Judaism’s universal message of a better world. Exploring Judaism’s focus on ethical conduct over declarations of faith, the authors show that making ethical decisions is indispensable in an ever-changing world.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

A Globalized World Needs a Global Ethic
In today's world of political and religious unrest, there is a growing need for shared ethical will, moral force, and energy among the world's religious traditions. While representatives from the world's faith traditions addressed this need in 1993 at the Parliament of the World's Religions by endorsing Hans Küng's "Declaration toward a Global Ethic," more must be done to instill a shared set of ethical principles for all humankind--a global ethic. In response to this challenge, Judaism in particular has an important religious and ethical heritage to contribute in making this global ethic a reality. Drawing on key Jewish texts, Hans Küng and Rabbi Walter Homolka demonstrate how it is possible to achieve this global ethic through the practices and principles of Judaism. They show how the overarching message of Judaism--just action as a guiding religious principle--holds a key in the pursuit of universal peace.

About the Author:

Rabbi Walter Homolka, PhD, DHL, is rector of the Abraham Geiger College for the training of rabbis, executive director of the Zacharias Frankel College, and a professor of Jewish studies at University of Potsdam in Germany. He is author of many books, including The Gate to Perfection: The Idea of Peace in Jewish Thought, coauthor of How to Do Good & Avoid Evil: A Global Ethic from the Sources of Judaism (SkyLight Paths), and a contributor to May God Remember: Memory and Memorializing in Judaism―Yizkor and We Have Sinned: Sin and Confession in Judaism―Ashamnu and Al Chet (both Jewish Lights).

About this edition

• Publisher: SkyLight Paths
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1594732558
• ISBN 13: 9781594732553
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224